The Tesla Cybertruck, one of many vehicles that captures and stores your personal – and sensitive – data. Credit: 1nicdar, Twitter.
In the aftermath of the shocking events transpiring across the USA last week whereby a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel, the public is prompted yet again to feel suspicious about data. Is it really private after all, and who can actually access our personal information?
Tesla played big role in capturing criminal
Elon Musk and his company Tesla had a significant hand in capturing the suspect involved in the incident on Wednesday, January 1, when the technology he and his team implanted in Tesla vehicles was able to successfully track and pinpoint the exact journey from Denver to Las Vegas that Matthew Livelsberger took on his way to the hotel, with the software managing to locate the source of the problem – fireworks stored inside of the truck.
Tesla gathers data from charging stations dotted across the country, as well as at sites throughout the world. They also keep track of customers’ sensitive data by monitoring calls, texts, and even storing photos and videos, due to mobile synchronisation.
Many allegations over data sharing
The billionaire Musk’s electric car manufacturer joins a host of modern cars who employ similar systems to ensure our data is never really that private. General Motors was sued by the Texas attorney general for allegedly selling the data of over 1.8 million drivers to various insurance companies – without the consent of the drivers.
Auto analyst Sam Abuelsamid from Telemetry Insight highlights: “this is one of the biggest ethical issues we have around modern vehicles. They’re connected. Consumers need to have control over their data”. And with no current federal laws clamping down on car data, and state regulations being a complex issue, members of the public remain to be worried about the future of their personal information.
News outlet Reuters aimed to expose Musk when they reported that Tesla employees had made use of drivers’ data by sharing it amongst themselves, with many videos and images from cameras on the self-driving feature of the cars capturing road rage incidents – and nudity. This outraged Americans and put Tesla directly in the firing line, with Musk quickly coming out to defend his company
The CEO stated: “No one but you would have knowledge of your activities, location or a history of where you’ve been. Your information is kept private and secure.” But with the American joining a long list of bosses from companies around the world that seek to infiltrate customer data, including Mark Zuckerberg, many experts remain cautious.
Where is the line?
Jodi Daniels, the CEO of privacy consulting firm Red Clover Advisors states: “You might want law enforcement to have the data to crack down on criminals but can anyone have access to it? Where is the line?”
And as that line continues to be seemingly blurred as we enter a new phase of society’s technological revolution in 2025, drivers and citizens alike will be urged to monitor the data they share with the likes of Tesla, Facebook, and other conglomerates closely.
Follow the latest news from America here at viraltrendingcontent.
